Math student earns Best Presentation award

Congratulations to Master of science in Mathematics student, Benjamin Fraser on earning the Best Student Presentation award at the Applied Mathematics, Modeling and Computational Science Conference at Wilfrid Laurier University, June 7 - 12.

Fraser's paper, Persistent Homology for Analyzing Environmental Lake Monitoring Data, co-authored by Nipissing’s Dr. Mark Wachowiak, associate professor of computer science and mathematics and Dr. Renata Wachowiak-Smolikova, assistant professor of computer science and mathematics, was presented in the Mathematical Modeling in Environmental Sciences session.

The paper presents an innovative application of Topological Data Analysis (TDA), which is a new approach to determine interesting and important patterns in large, multidimensional data. TDA is increasingly used by researchers to make sense of "big data”, consisting of vast amounts of unstructured data captured from sensors, marketing research, and social media.

Fraser contributed to the TDA field by analyzing environmental readings acquired from sensors on buoys placed on Lake Nipissing.Fraser also analyzed sensors placed onto the Chief Commanda during its voyages across Lake Nipissing.

Fraser's findings will contribute to the environmental modelling and monitoring initiatives of Lake Nipissing led by Nipissing’s Dr. Dan Walters and Dr. April James, associate professors of geography, with the goal of better understanding of dynamic environmental conditions in this important lake.